Nov 8-14, 2011

Nov 8-14, 2011 / Vol. 25 / No. 37

Cover Story

Air Apparent: Aerialists work hard to combine fitness with the arts

Maggie Kingsley is wrapped in silk, suspended 20 feet in the air, when suddenly her body hurtles toward the ground. She spins, twists and tumbles as the silk unravels around her. In the blink of an eye, the silk tightens and she is again suspended in mid-air. This isn’t someone being hanged for a movie.…

Jeff Hahne

Fashion review: Project Reover

What’s one trend that’s fashion forward in all seasons? Paying it forward to charities in need. Saturday night, Jordanos boutique in Ballantyne hosted “Project Reover,” a fashion event for three great causes. Store owner, Karen Mangeney spoke up during the evening about her reason behind hosting the event. “Reover is a do-over. Sometimes in life,…

Lauren Blake

County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts is stepping down

After seven years on the Board of County Commissioners, Jennifer Roberts (@commishjennifer) announced this morning that she won’t seek re-election next year. The Charlotte Observer reports that Roberts is making way for new leaders to step up to the plate. “I want to encourage new leaders to step forward to give them time to plan…

Cheris Hodges

Government, banks and defense industry screwing veterans

Veterans take part in Occupy Wall Street On Friday, the country celebrated Veterans Day, honoring the men and women who are serving, or have served, in the U.S. armed forces. Veterans Day, you may remember, is the one day out of the year when politicians and TV talking heads actually mention veterans’ “issues,” wrapping their…

John Grooms

Blackout Superstar’s party-rock – Tonight @ The Milestone

Well, Blackout Superstar is your standard-fare, party-rocking quintet that comes with swinging guitars and swilling bottles while inserting the proverbial rock into the roll. Just looking for that hit power rocker, the boys don’t bother hiding their quest for rock radio stardom. Nothin’ original here, but it’s not too shabby if you dig hard rock…

Samir Shukla

J. Edgar: Gee, man

J. EDGAR **1/2 DIRECTED BY Clint Eastwood STARS Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts No one could possibly have fathomed that someone as handsome as Leonardo DiCaprio and someone as homely as Ernest Borgnine would ever play the same character, but the actors indeed share the same screen DNA by both having portrayed J. Edgar Hoover, the…

Matt Brunson

Jack and Jill: Sandler’s latest cinematic cesspool

JACK AND JILL * DIRECTED BY Dennis Dugan STARS Adam Sandler, Al Pacino Less than 48 hours before I embarked on the courageous journey to attend the screening of Jack and Jill (0x0048), a co-worker offered his theory that Adam Sandler deliberately makes movies out of the stupidest ideas he can conjure, simply to prove…

Matt Brunson

Martha Marcy May Marlene: A cult hit

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE *** DIRECTED BY T. Sean Durkin STARS Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulsen Make all the Mary-Kate and Ashley jokes you want, but don’t dis Elizabeth Olsen. In Martha Marcy May Marlene, the younger sister of the Olsen twins delivers a breakthrough performance that will remind many of Jennifer Lawrence’s excellent work last…

Matt Brunson

BofA profits from fees on S.C.’s unemployed

There’s a story by Janell Ross of Huffington Post about Bank of America and what it is up to in South Carolina that reveals more of BofA’s usual corporate insensitivity; the article is also, however, as fine a picture of what life is often like for the 16 percent of Americans who now live in…

John Grooms

Marigny to host “Stars & Stripes” Veterans Day party

Veterans Day is a day traditionally set aside for reflection, gratitude, and dance-filled debauchery. Or at least that’s what the folks over at Marigny Dance Club seem to think. This Friday, in honor of the federal holiday and of the club’s monthly Friday-night party, Marigny will throw the Stars & Stripes shindig the likes of…

Laura Camilo

Marsha Ambrosius’ beautiful British vocals – Tonight @ The Fillmore

This British singer/songwriter lent her voice and words to megastars like Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys, and was half of the soul duo Floetry before venturing out solo. Even alone, the results are just as magical. A gifted voice churning out songs that pull at every string of your emotions, Ambrosius is a…

Mike McCray

Charlotte-based Jason Scavone goes solo – Tonight @ The Evening Muse

Former singer for The Noises 10 and current frontman for The Hot Gates, Jason Scavone is hitting the stage solo for this gig. You can expect to hear some stripped down songs in addition to unreleased solo stuff. Scavone is a talented songwriter whose smooth vocal style lends the perfect vehicle for getting his thoughts…

Jeff Hahne

Premonition 13’s dark, stoner metal – Tonight @ The Tremont

Doommeister Scott “Wino” Weinrich, the vocalist/guitarist for Obsessed, Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan, The Hidden and many others, returns with his new combo that pours on the sludge and dark lyrics. Epic songs layered with gloom and doom vocals, his specialty for almost three decades, ooze out of the amps about as consistently as his previous…

Samir Shukla

Hank Ill melts your face off – Tonight @ Amos’ SouthEnd

Hitting the road on the heels of three new recordings, the country double album Ghost to a Ghost/Gutter Town, the doom rock collection Attention Deficit Domination, and the speedmetal pit-inducing 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin’, the rabble-rouser Hank III continues to stamp his own twang and thud. He long ago left the shadows of Hank…

Samir Shukla

Tuesday’s Democratic momentum impacts school board results

School board races are technically non-partisan, but Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education winners Erika Ellis-Stewart and Mary T. McCray certainly benefited from the Democratic momentum of Tuesday’s elections. “I’m extremely proud of the school board results, and of Erika Ellis-Stewart and Mary McCray,” said Aisha Dew, chairwoman of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party. After three incumbent…

Mike Cooper

Save the date: Elle VJ’s holiday party

We love the dresses and shoe selections at Elle VJ. If you haven’t been there yet, there’s a fabulous event coming up in just a couple of weeks. Looking for something different to look dazzling in this holiday party season? Well, Elle VJ is where you need to start. Visit the boutique located at 136…

T. Strong

At the polls: District 3 resident talks education

It’s mid-morning on election day in District 3, but Tyrone Bradley is not focused on this district’s hot race — the one pitting Democrat LaWana Mayfield against Republican Ed Toney. Voter and volunteer Bradley is trying to get citizens entering Precinct 24 to take a look at the school board race. He’s thrown his support…

Cheris Hodges

Foo Fighters invade Charlotte – Tonight @ Time Warner Cable Arena

Touring in support of their seventh studio album, Wasting Light, Foo Fighters bring an intensity and familiarity to rock music that has landed them on the charts repeatedly. There’s a lot of focus on Nirvana’s Nevermind anniversary these days, but the Foos show that Dave Grohl can be a solid frontman as well. (Jeff Hahne)…

Jeff Hahne

Fishbone sticks to you like Crazy Glue tonight at the Tremont

Crazy Glue EP by Fishbone Bloody shame Fishbone never broke through into the mainstream. There was nothing quite like this combo when they exploded onto the scene in the late ’80s with their maniacal brew of ska, punk and horns-fueled funk. They proceeded to tear the roof off any watering hole or outdoor festival they…

Samir Shukla

At the polls: Democrat John Autry ‘optimistic’ in District 5

Charlotte City Council candidate John Autry was already up and going by 7:30 a.m. today. The Democratic candidate for District 5 had stopped in at Precinct 124 an hour earlier and was handing out information about himself and his fellow Democrats seeking at-large seats on the City Council. At precincts across the city, people are…

Cheris Hodges

Absence of Malice, Water for Elephants among new home entertainment titles

ABSENCE OF MALICE (1981). If 1970s cinema was uncharacteristically kind toward the media — toppling Nixon from his perch would understandably generate such warm’n’fuzzy feelings — the 80s offerings frequently proved to be less charitable toward members of the Fourth Estate. Therefore, projects like The Parallax View and All the President’s Men gave way to…

Matt Brunson

All-day-menu Brigs Restaurant opens in Ballantyne

Brigs Restaurant 12239 N. Community House Road. 704-544-0074. Hours: Sunday and Monday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. www.brigs.com. You know,” the server at the neighboring table stated confidentially, “we serve our menu all day. So you could have a burger at 7 a.m. if you want to.”…

Tricia Childress

Big K.R.I.T. rides mixtape popularity into something bigger

Big K.R.I.T.’s graduation to the limelight hasn’t come without the industry testing his resolve. The Meridian, Miss., rapper’s three mixtapes flex the might of a man possessed, but also delve into the skepticism and insecurities of someone who didn’t have an easy road to his accolades. On “Dreamin’,” from this year’s Return of 4eva mixtape,…

Mike McCray

Where to find it: Turkey talk

North Carolina is the second largest producer of turkeys in the U.S. and, at one time, Union County was the top turkey-producing county in the country. Butterball LLC operates the world’s largest turkey-processing plant in Mount Olive, N.C. In other words, we have locally produced turkeys here. But only a small number of independently owned…

Tricia Childress

CD Review: Talkdemonic’s Ruins

For a two-piece act whose music is often built on processed beats, looped effects and fuzzed-out synth noise, the Portland duo of Kevin O’Connor and Lisa Molinaro consistently pulls off a couple of neat tricks. For one, they sound like a much bigger band, something live shows really highlight; they also come off far more…

John Schacht

Right at The Boulevard

Despite the name, The Boulevard ironically has never been located on an actual boulevard. When the gift shop was in NoDa, it was at the corner of 36th and North Davidson streets. Now that it’s reopened in South End, you can find the locally owned store at the corner of South Tryon and Summit streets.…

Kimberly Lawson

Sallie Nash

CPCC student Sallie Nash has a self-described eclectic style that reflects some of her fashion influences, like Joan Jett, David Bowie and Bettie Page. But by looking at her, you probably wouldn’t assume that she’s been studying opera for years. So much for judging a book by its cover! “Fashion is really whatever the individual…

T. Strong

CD REVIEW: Steve Cropper’s Dedicated: A Tribute to the Five Royales

Guitarist Steve Cropper is best known for the sweet soul sound he brought to Stax records as lead guitarist for Booker T and the MG’s, playing on classic Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam and Dave songs. But even though his sound has always been recognized as the definitive Memphis sound, Cropper has always said…

Grant Britt

An ambiguous legacy: North Carolina’s James Forrester

James Forrester did some fine and noble things in his life, and he also took some hurtful, even hateful actions. In those ways, he was like nearly all of us. Ambiguity, humankind is your greatest medium. Unlike most of us, however, people with money and power — like Forrester, a Republican state senator from Gaston…

John Grooms

Politicians use anti-immigrant legislation as a smoke screen

It’s no mystery that since the beginning of the recession, the No. 1 topic in voters’ minds has been job creation. But what happens when politicians fail miserably in reaching this goal? For North Carolina legislator Frank Iler the answer is simple: create a smoke screen of anti-immigrant laws. Iler was elected in 2010 to…

Diego Barahona

Nightlife profile: Rob Nixon

Rob Nixon, the owner of Jackalope Jack’s on 7th Street, is a German-born entrepreneur who knows how to keep his customers happy. Well over six feet tall, Nixon has a hearty laugh and a personality that seems to have inspired Jack’s: loud, animated and fun. Jack’s has been in the Elizabeth area for nearly a…

Tremaine Tillman

Keia Mastrianni accentuates the downsizing dilemma

Moving is never easy, but for Keia Mastrianni it was harder than normal. Mastrianni and her fiancé downgraded in space to a small, 1,050-square-foot house, with virtually no space to spare. “When we first got here, it was a very difficult transition for me. The space is really unique and we didn’t know what to…

Anita Overcash

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (Nov. 9 edition)

Boo: A 43-year-old woman called police after someone pranked her house a little too hard on Halloween. The woman told officers someone threw a pumpkin through her front bedroom window, shattering it. What’s worse, the glass on the carpet or the smell of rotting pumpkin in your bedroom? I Heart You: A 23-year-old man called…

Ryan Pitkin

Call of duty: Veterans join the 99 percent

11-11-11 is not a variant of Herman Cain’s much-touted 9-9-9 tax plan, but rather the date of this year’s Veterans Day. This is especially relevant, as the U.S. has now entered its second decade of war in Afghanistan, the longest war in the nation’s history. U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are appearing…

Amy Goodman

A gay Southern evangelical struggles in New York in Next Fall

Busy schedules, emotional entanglements, depression and simple inertia all intersect at the same sterile response: avoidance. In Geoffrey Nauffts’ drama, Next Fall, the title refers to when Luke plans to tell his parents that he is gay — and that he and Adam are splitting the rent in their Manhattan apartment. Nauffts could also have…

Perry Tannenbaum

Weekly horoscope (Nov. 9-15)

Scorpio The Phoenix (Oct. 23-Nov. 20) You have been through a long period of pushing yourself. In case you haven’t discovered it yet, let me clarify that your body is struggling with exhaustion. Do some preventive self-treatment. Take your vitamins. Get plenty of sleep. Hot chicken soup is also good. For All Signs: Neptune, god…

Vivian Carol

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Nov. 9

ABDUCTION Sure, it’s easy to pick on the Twilight guy. Because who’s gonna rush to his defense other than smitten Team Jacob fans? Make no mistake about it: Abduction, in which Taylor Lautner is handed his first starring role in a motion picture, will never, ever, ever be mistaken for a good movie. But the…

Matt Brunson

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